Of all the metaphors we use to better understand technology, my favorite is comparing spoken langauge to programming language. To that end, I think a passion for spoken language translates well into a career in coding.
I want to learn Spanish. It is very relevant in America, and I have several friends who speak it, but I just do not have the discipline to become fluent. How exactly do they roll those R’s? I’ve tried and failed countless times. There’s a bit of physical ability involved in speaking a language you didn’t grow up with. It frustrates me. And that’s assuming I can memorize countless new words, expressions, and their own take on sarcasm.
I am good at the memorizing part, and that is why I’m good at coding. No matter how unique a coding language may be, I am going to type the same characters on my same keyboard. No tonal language, conflicting pronunciation or tongue olympics here. Coding is much easier if you ask me.
I still want to learn Spanish.
Ideas are like data, those 1’s and 0’s mirror the electrical impulses in our brain. Grammar is like syntax. And our minds are the servers. Given enough time and effort, we really can program ourselves in any language we want.